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Board Approves New Bachelor's Degree in Sport Management

Contact: Jeff MurphyWARRENSBURG, MO (Jan. 29, 2013) - Enhancing an academic program that already offers a master’s degree, a new Bachelor of Science in Sport Management degree was approved by the University of Central Missouri’s Board of Governors when it met Jan. 25 on campus. The new degree program, which must now be approved by the Missouri Coordinating Board for Higher Education, will be offered by the Department of Nutrition and Kinesiology to meet a growing demand by students.

Board action followed a presentation by Department Chair Michael Godard. He noted that UCM’s graduate degree in sport management program has experienced a 300 percent enrollment growth over the past six years, and over the past 10 years, approximately 75 individualized undergraduate majors have been created in sport management to meet student demand. Twelve such majors were created in fall 2012.

Students enrolled in this program are preparing for leadership positions in sport management and sport professions, including the recreational industry, college/university sports, resort sports programming, intramural-club-recreational sports programs and management positions within the wellness and fitness industry. Because the department currently has the necessary faculty, curriculum and facilities to administer the program, no additional funding will be required.

Action regarding two other academic programs was taken by the board. This includes approving a name change in the Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology degree to the Master of Science in Speech Pathology. According to Deborah Curtis, provost and chief learning officer, in 2005 the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association changed its certification standards for audiology and required possession of a doctoral degree in audiology or a closely related area in order to instruct in audiology. This changed the standard for an entry level-degree for audiology to a doctorate, which eliminated the purpose for a master’s degree in audiology. As a result, the UCM Communication Disorders program received approval to no longer have an audiology program, and curriculum changes were made, but the program name was never changed to reflect the field standard. The Council on Academic Accreditation of the American Speech-Language Association will review the degree for reaffirmation of accreditation in 2013.

The board also approved revisions to the Bachelor of Science in Computer Science program in the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science to add more science hours to meet minimum science requirements of ABET, an organization in which UCM is seeking accreditation. Additional revisions in the program include a new Game Development option, which follows a national trend, and will help attract and motivate students. These changes must now be approved by CBHE.

Following a presentation by Curtis, the board also approved a request to joining the Student Success Collaborative of the Education Advisory Board. This will cost $95,000 annually for a total of $285,000 over the next three years. EAB is a collaborative group of higher education institutions that have come together to study best practices in using data analytics and predictive modeling to foster greater student success demonstrated in increased program and degree completion. Information will be used by advisors, program coordinators, department chairs, deans and faculty to help guide students through the degree completion process in a timely manner.